The 2016 Human Services Awards took place on Wednesday, June 1st in the Bertha Knight Landes Room at Seattle City Hall.

The 2016 Human Services Award Recipients

Mayor's Award & Proclamation - Seattle Community Court

2016 is the 10-year anniversary for Seattle's Community Court. This year, the Meals Partnership Coalition (MPC) recognizes the outstanding work that Community Court has done for the those struggling with poverty and hunger in our community. From the MPC, the coalition choosing this year's Mayor's Award, wrote, "[Community Court's] idea of allowing defendants of poverty-related crimes to be assigned community service hours at neighborhood-based sites is innovative and visionary. Community Court is a forward-thinking and compassionate program that encourages growth and behavioral modification rather than incarceration."

Mayor Ed Murray presents the Mayor's Award and Proclamation to Judge Willie Gregory, accepting on behalf of Seattle Community Court.

Outstanding Organization Award - Community Lunch on Capitol Hillprovides hot, nutritious, and high-quality meals-on a shoestring budget-to hundreds of homeless and low-income people of Seattle. Meals served are open to everyone, with no sign-in and no questions asked. Community Lunch provides 50,000 free hot emails annually, as well as survival gear and other essential services, collaborating with the Seattle/King County Mobile Medical Van and advanced medical students from Country Doctor. Through the effective organization of more than 2,000 volunteers and the many generous and diverse resources for food--ranging from local restaurants, grocery stores and farmers' markets-Community Lunch on Capitol Hill provides hot meals and survival services to many people, efficiently and cost-effectively, while also giving the community a way to contribute to the work.

Community Lunch on Capitol Hill accepts the award for Outstanding Organization from Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold.

Innovative Program Award - Facing Homelessness recognizes the need for homeless people to be met with experiences that include them in the same day to day activities and connections that homed and resourced people take for granted. Through their Facebook page, Facing Homelessness (formerly Homeless in Seattle)--now over 30,000 strong--anyone can step forward and assist a homeless person in need through financial support, words of kindness, or goods and services. Through the power of social media, Facing Homelessness, highlights the power of human connection and helps people in real time, offering the opportunities to create human-centered interactions and immediate action toward the enormous problem of homelessness, person by person and story by story.

Facing Homelessness accepts the Innovative Program Award from Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw.

The Ron Chisom Anti-Racism Award - Families of Color Seattleis dedicated to exploring racism, and engaging in anti-racist work in ways that are accessible to all people and ages. Families of Color Seattle is a safe space for families of color. Anti-racist work is often approached academically - FOCS incorporates art, play, music, food, and community building in their programming, parent groups and community dialogue series to engage parents, educators, and the broader community in anti-racist work. The person nominating Families of Color Seattle wrote: "FOCS fills a very significant gap for people of color, particularly in early education and parenting communities that allows families to explore racism and build community in a positive way."

Families of Color Seattle accepts the Ron Chisom Anti-Racism Award from King County Councilmember Larry Gossett.

Excellence in Advocacy - Peter Quenguyen is an elder and leader in the Vietnamese and South Park communities. At age 81, he has dedicated his life to advocating for others. Peter is an essential leader at the South Park Senior Center-organizing outreach to isolated seniors, programming to encourage community-building, such as Friday night karaoke-as well as a strong advocate both for increasing social services for seniors in Seattle and as a part of the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition. The young person who nominated Peter wrote, "[He] inspires me...as a positive impact on the entire community, with the relationship building he does as part of this life's work, not just because it is his job."

Stewardship Award -Rusty George Creative has a long history of providing their work pro-bono to local non-profit organizations, helping them elevate their brand and credibility that in turn allows them to better help the community around us. Each year, they accept grant applications from non-profits around the region and then award one participant with a full rebranding campaign.They are known among many non-profits for their generosity, for listening, and for understanding the importance of a strong brand and message for organizations in the human services field. In helping non-profits create strong brands and messages, they help us advocate for human services across the region.

Rusty George Creative accepts the Stewardship Award from King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles.